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What AMERICANS need to know to benefit from an Emerging Asia
What AMERICANS need to know to benefit from an Emerging Asia
writing about a little bit of everything
INDONESIA and the PHILIPPINES
Both countries are essentially huge archipelagos consisting of thousands of islands each. Indonesia has more islands than any other country on Earth. It's also increadibly diverse with 300 ethnic groups. Indonesian law says you must have a religeon. You can pick any one you want but you have to have one. The Philippines used to be an American colony. As a result it has close ties to the United States. It's considered the third largest-English speaking country in the world.
Both countries are essentially huge archipelagos consisting of thousands of islands each. Indonesia has more islands than any other country on Earth. It's also increadibly diverse with 300 ethnic groups. Indonesian law says you must have a religeon. You can pick any one you want but you have to have one. The Philippines used to be an American colony. As a result it has close ties to the United States. It's considered the third largest-English speaking country in the world.
Jakarta, Indonesia
INDONESIA
LOCATION: Indonesia's islands are scattered on both sides of the equator between the continent of Asia and Australia.
SIZE: 17,508 islands covering 735 thousand square miles.
POPULATION: 235 million people making it the 4th most populous nation on Earth.
PEOPLE: There are more than 300 different ethnic groups in Indonesia. The Javanese the largest and most politically dominant. Indonesia has developed a shared identity defined by a national language (Indonesian), a majority Muslim population, and a history of rebellion against colonialism.
GOVERNMENT: Indonesia is a republic with an elected parliament and president. The government has stabilized a bit since the resignation of embattled President Suharto in 1998.
CURRENCY: Rupiah
LANGUAGE: There are 742 languages spoken in Indonesia. The official language is Indonesian which is a modified version of Malay. Many Indonesian speak some English or want to learn.
SIZE: 17,508 islands covering 735 thousand square miles.
POPULATION: 235 million people making it the 4th most populous nation on Earth.
PEOPLE: There are more than 300 different ethnic groups in Indonesia. The Javanese the largest and most politically dominant. Indonesia has developed a shared identity defined by a national language (Indonesian), a majority Muslim population, and a history of rebellion against colonialism.
GOVERNMENT: Indonesia is a republic with an elected parliament and president. The government has stabilized a bit since the resignation of embattled President Suharto in 1998.
CURRENCY: Rupiah
LANGUAGE: There are 742 languages spoken in Indonesia. The official language is Indonesian which is a modified version of Malay. Many Indonesian speak some English or want to learn.
Map of Indonesia
ECONOMY: Indonesia has been slow to recover from the Asian economic crisis of 1997. There is quite a bit of corruption and political instability. Unemployment is high as is the poverty rate. Many Indonesian seek jobs outside the country. Cruise lines take advantage of cheap Indonesian labor and fill their ships with workers recruited there.
TRAVEL: There are a lot of beaches in Indonesia. Bali is the best known vacation spot. However the 2002 bombing of a night club there that killed 202 people raised concerns about terrorism. Most Indonesians are friendly and welcome tourists. Only a few want to kill you.
VISA: Visitors must purchase one of two visas on arrival: a $10 visa valid for 10 days or a $25 visa valid for 30 days. This was heavily protested by the tourist industry who point out that this cost adds up for families and 30 days is a very limited time to travel in Indonesia with a number of remote and hard to reach locations.
TRAVEL: There are a lot of beaches in Indonesia. Bali is the best known vacation spot. However the 2002 bombing of a night club there that killed 202 people raised concerns about terrorism. Most Indonesians are friendly and welcome tourists. Only a few want to kill you.
VISA: Visitors must purchase one of two visas on arrival: a $10 visa valid for 10 days or a $25 visa valid for 30 days. This was heavily protested by the tourist industry who point out that this cost adds up for families and 30 days is a very limited time to travel in Indonesia with a number of remote and hard to reach locations.
GETTING THERE: Most flights to Indonesia from the United States will be through other countries. Try Cathay Pacific Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways, Philippine Airlines.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW: There are around 400 volcanoes in Indonesia, 150 of them active, which is 75% of all active volcano on the planet. People in Indonesia eat only with their right hand believing the left is impure. They do not hand or receive things with their left hand and would not wave at anyone with their left hand.
Rice Terraces, The Philippines
The PHILIPPINES
LOCATION: Off the southeast coast of Asia. The archipelago lies between Taiwan to the north, Borneo to the south, the Pacific Ocean to the east and the South China Sea to the west.
SIZE: 7,107 islands covering an area slightly larger than the state of Arizona.
POPULATION: About 90 million making it the 12th most populous nation on Earth.
PEOPLE: 95.5% Filipino, 1.5% Chinese. About 4% of the population is Muslim.
GOVERNMENT: Similar to the US with three branches of government and a strong President who serves as head of state and commander in chief. Filipinos seem to like electing film starts to higher office. In 1998 former action film star Joseph Estrada was elected president, but within two years was being investigated for corruption charges. The current president, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo barely survived an impeachment vote after admitting to calling an election official during the 2004 election.
CURRENCY: The Philippine Peso
LANGUAGE: Filipino (also called Tagalog) and English are the official languages, but more than 180 languages and dialects are spoken.
SIZE: 7,107 islands covering an area slightly larger than the state of Arizona.
POPULATION: About 90 million making it the 12th most populous nation on Earth.
PEOPLE: 95.5% Filipino, 1.5% Chinese. About 4% of the population is Muslim.
GOVERNMENT: Similar to the US with three branches of government and a strong President who serves as head of state and commander in chief. Filipinos seem to like electing film starts to higher office. In 1998 former action film star Joseph Estrada was elected president, but within two years was being investigated for corruption charges. The current president, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo barely survived an impeachment vote after admitting to calling an election official during the 2004 election.
CURRENCY: The Philippine Peso
LANGUAGE: Filipino (also called Tagalog) and English are the official languages, but more than 180 languages and dialects are spoken.
Map of the Philippines
VISA: You automatically get a 3 week tourist visa. If longer, you have to apply to an extension visa, easier to get it from their embassy before leaving for your trip.
GETTING THERE: Direct flights from the United States are provided by Philippine Airlines.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW: The Philippines is a predominently Catholic country. A prayer is often read aloud prior to ships sailing or buses departing. Singing seems to be a national pasttime. People break out into song all the time for just about every reason. Filipinos are a very friendly and hospitable people, sometimes even to a fault. Take the time to smile and say "thank you", and you'll receive much better responses. You will receive an even better response if you throw in a little Tagalog, such as "salamat", which means "thank you".
Flag of the Philippines
ECONOMY: The Philippines is just now becoming an industrialized country. They are still very much rooted in agriculture. However, the large English speaking population is opening the door for a booming outsourcing industry similar to what happened in India. Current President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo pledged to make the Philippines a developed country by 2020. However, she will need to address several chronic problems with infrastructure and a failing tax system that discourages investment.
TRAVEL: The Philippines is a very inexpensive place to travel. There are many fine beaches and the island of Bohol is particularly nice. However, the U.S. Government warns that Americans need to be aware of the risks of terrorism. There are Islamic extremists based in the Philippines who prey on Americans.
TRAVEL: The Philippines is a very inexpensive place to travel. There are many fine beaches and the island of Bohol is particularly nice. However, the U.S. Government warns that Americans need to be aware of the risks of terrorism. There are Islamic extremists based in the Philippines who prey on Americans.
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Thanks! Kent Ninomiya, Managing Editor EmergingDragon.com
